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MLS: Colorado Edges New York In Nine-Goal Thriller
Conor Casey’s hat-trick undoes the Red Bulls and puts the Rapids well on their way to securing a playoff spot.
Sep 28, 2008 12:05:29 AM
New York Red Bulls 4 - 5 Colorado Rapids
No one would’ve predicted Colorado and New York would score nine goals among them on Saturday night. But even more unpredictable was that Conor Casey would net three of those nine goals and that the Rapids would come out on top.
With the win, Colorado improve to 10-12-4 on the season with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Giants Stadium. It was only the 2nd home loss of the season for the Bulls, who fall to 9-9-8.
First Half
From the opening few minutes, defense was absent on both ends and goals poured in left and right. By the end of the first stanza, seven goals will have been scored.
Colorado opened the scoring just three minutes in when a miscue by New York keeper Jon Conway allowed Rapids forward Omar Cummings to easily find the empty net. The Red Bulls responded immediately. Mike Magee cashed in on a failed backpass by Colorado’s Cory Gibbs, beating Preston Burpo low to equalize.
In the 11th minute, Casey scored his first goal on the night. The big striker took a feed from Cummings and fought off challenges from Carlos Mendes and Gabriel Cichero and calmly finished past Conway.
The game finally seemed to settle for a little bit, but picked up again quickly. In the 33rd minute, US international Pablo Mastroeni handled a Magee cross in the area. The call was questionable, but Juan Pablo Angel left no doubt with his penalty, beating Burpo and tying the game at two.
Seven minutes later, Dane Richards temporarily gave the Red Bulls their only lead of the night. Juan Pietravallo made a dashing run through midfield, finding Jorge Rojas on the left wing. The Venezuelan international’s early cross was tapped in by a streaking Richards.
But the scoring was not nearly over. With only five minutes to go in the half, former New York defender Mike Petke equalized for Colorado when he settled a corner kick, maneuvered around current New York defender Diego Jimenez, and roofed his shot into the net.
The seventh and final goal of the half came after Pietravallo fouled Colorado midfielder Nick LaBrocca in the area. Casey converted from the spot to close out the highest scoring half in MLS this season.
Second Half
The halftime break seemed to settle down both clubs quite a bit. Yet the defending was still not up to par on either side, with both teams getting some excellent chances.
Particularly, Richards almost found the net for the second time soon after the restart, but Burpo did well to preserve Colorado’s lead. Two substitutions from New York manager Juan Carlos Osorio introduced the club’s most recent additions. Striker Macoumba Kandji came on for Richards, who injured his right knee, and in the 70th minute, Matthew Mbuta replaced Mendes. It ended up being a dream start for both players’ MLS careers. In the 74th minute, Mbuta headed a long ball to Kandji, who collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area. The former Atlanta Silverback quickly crossed back to Mbuta, who powered a volley into the net for his first career MLS goal. It seemed as though the Red Bulls would salvage a point at home after a terrible first half.
But Colorado continued to pressure the New York defense, and it cracked once more in the 90th minute. Mehdi Ballouchy crossed and found Casey, who redirected the ball out of mid air an into the side netting, capping off a hat trick and huge road victory for Colorado.
“I have been beaten before but never in my life have I allowed four goals in the first half,” Osorio said after the game. “Atrocious defending, you know I’m very disappointed.”
In each of New York’s two home losses this season, they have conceded 5 goals. And Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Angel could barely explain Saturday’s match.
“Honestly, I’m out of words,” said Angel. “It was a very difficult game to explain. But we managed to tie the game twice and we still managed to go ahead at some point and we ended up losing a very important game for us.”
The Red Bulls now sit on 35 points, fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Rapids moved up to 2nd in the West, on 34 points, pending the results of Chivas USA’s late game and Real Salt Lake’s match on Sunday.
-- Chris Celletti, Goal.com
No one would’ve predicted Colorado and New York would score nine goals among them on Saturday night. But even more unpredictable was that Conor Casey would net three of those nine goals and that the Rapids would come out on top.
With the win, Colorado improve to 10-12-4 on the season with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Giants Stadium. It was only the 2nd home loss of the season for the Bulls, who fall to 9-9-8.
First Half
From the opening few minutes, defense was absent on both ends and goals poured in left and right. By the end of the first stanza, seven goals will have been scored.
Colorado opened the scoring just three minutes in when a miscue by New York keeper Jon Conway allowed Rapids forward Omar Cummings to easily find the empty net. The Red Bulls responded immediately. Mike Magee cashed in on a failed backpass by Colorado’s Cory Gibbs, beating Preston Burpo low to equalize.
In the 11th minute, Casey scored his first goal on the night. The big striker took a feed from Cummings and fought off challenges from Carlos Mendes and Gabriel Cichero and calmly finished past Conway.
The game finally seemed to settle for a little bit, but picked up again quickly. In the 33rd minute, US international Pablo Mastroeni handled a Magee cross in the area. The call was questionable, but Juan Pablo Angel left no doubt with his penalty, beating Burpo and tying the game at two.
Seven minutes later, Dane Richards temporarily gave the Red Bulls their only lead of the night. Juan Pietravallo made a dashing run through midfield, finding Jorge Rojas on the left wing. The Venezuelan international’s early cross was tapped in by a streaking Richards.
But the scoring was not nearly over. With only five minutes to go in the half, former New York defender Mike Petke equalized for Colorado when he settled a corner kick, maneuvered around current New York defender Diego Jimenez, and roofed his shot into the net.
The seventh and final goal of the half came after Pietravallo fouled Colorado midfielder Nick LaBrocca in the area. Casey converted from the spot to close out the highest scoring half in MLS this season.
Second Half
The halftime break seemed to settle down both clubs quite a bit. Yet the defending was still not up to par on either side, with both teams getting some excellent chances.
Particularly, Richards almost found the net for the second time soon after the restart, but Burpo did well to preserve Colorado’s lead. Two substitutions from New York manager Juan Carlos Osorio introduced the club’s most recent additions. Striker Macoumba Kandji came on for Richards, who injured his right knee, and in the 70th minute, Matthew Mbuta replaced Mendes. It ended up being a dream start for both players’ MLS careers. In the 74th minute, Mbuta headed a long ball to Kandji, who collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area. The former Atlanta Silverback quickly crossed back to Mbuta, who powered a volley into the net for his first career MLS goal. It seemed as though the Red Bulls would salvage a point at home after a terrible first half.
But Colorado continued to pressure the New York defense, and it cracked once more in the 90th minute. Mehdi Ballouchy crossed and found Casey, who redirected the ball out of mid air an into the side netting, capping off a hat trick and huge road victory for Colorado.
“I have been beaten before but never in my life have I allowed four goals in the first half,” Osorio said after the game. “Atrocious defending, you know I’m very disappointed.”
In each of New York’s two home losses this season, they have conceded 5 goals. And Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Angel could barely explain Saturday’s match.
“Honestly, I’m out of words,” said Angel. “It was a very difficult game to explain. But we managed to tie the game twice and we still managed to go ahead at some point and we ended up losing a very important game for us.”
The Red Bulls now sit on 35 points, fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Rapids moved up to 2nd in the West, on 34 points, pending the results of Chivas USA’s late game and Real Salt Lake’s match on Sunday.
-- Chris Celletti, Goal.com
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